Private Investigator FAQ

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What is a Private Investigator?

A private investigator, or P.I., is a licensed person with the ability to research criminal records, track down people that can't seem to be found, and investigate situations that the local police are not effectively working on to help uncover the truth. Private I's have more freedom to investigate various situations that the police do not and they are able to focus more time and attention on situations that the police cannot.

What does a Private Investigator Do?

There is a lot a Private Investigator can do. In fact, you might be surprised at the scope of abilities and tasks that you can request from a P.I..

Here's just a sample of what they can do:
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• Tail spouses to uncover cheating or infidelitous behavior. Proof usually involves pictures, documented times and places, and may include bugging locations to listen in on conversations.
• Background checks to make sure that people you are hiring or dating are safe to hire or date.
• Track down missing persons, particularly ex-spouses or ex-mates who owe child support. If it is early on in the case of a missing child, a P.I. may be able to find the child's last sightings and leads to where the child or child's remains might be now.
• Cyber security investigations to track down hackers, cyber-thieves, and cyber-bullies. Online stalkers may also be investigated and tracked so that you can file a proper restraining order.
• Investigate possible criminal activity in business ventures.
• Uncover any missing assets a spouse may be hiding during the course of a divorce so that child support payments are effectively awarded in court.
• Uncover stolen goods or assets owned by or in possession of a family member so that proper charges may be brought against that family member. May also uncover similar charges against supposed friends or strangers that took things from you.
• Investigate your claims of child abuse/neglect if and when you suspect it but you don't want the police involved and you don't want to harm your children in the process.
• Dig up anything particularly unsavory about an ex-spouse or ex-mate that may cause serious harm to the children you share with that person (e.g., ex-con, dating a pedophile or rapist, etc.).
• Track down stolen goods that may have been pawned for cash and help restore them to you. This also helps you file a report with the police showing that not only did the P.I. find your stolen items, but that the items were located in a specific store and that the police need to speak with the pawn shop owner to find the person who sold the items to the pawn shop. It helps the pawn shop owner recover lost money because of the stolen items that he/she purchased.

How Much does a Private Investigator cost?

Private investigators charge clients based on the amount of work that they do for them. So, how much does a private investigator cost? The average rate of a private investigator ranges from about $40 per hour to $100 per hour depending on their expertise. Following these rates, the longer the investigation takes to complete, the more you will pay the private investigator. Some sensitive cases, such as cyber crime investigation cases, can also have different rates because they require special skills and tools to investigate. Cases that do not require additional tools or expertise like civil investigations, however, are charged hourly rates. Before hiring a private investigator, therefore, it is important for you to engage them regarding their rates and ask them to estimate the time within which they can complete the investigation. This helps you to know how much the private investigator will cost roughly.

Who do private investigators work for?

Most people keep wondering and asking, ' Who do private investigators work for?' Well, private investigators work on contractual terms for the individual or firm that has hired them to collect information. This means that once the private investigators are done with an investigation, they are free to engage another client. Large organizations, which often deal with many people, may find themselves in situations that need civil investigations frequently. Such firms may opt to keep private investigators on retainer so that they are readily available to conduct investigations for them. Only the best private investigators are hired on retainer. To do that, both the private investigator firm and the organization requesting for services have to agree on the terms of the retainer agreement before commencement of the agreement.

How do you become a private investigator?

The first step to becoming a private investigator is to get certification in a field that relates to legal matters. This can include criminal justice, law, and police science. The certifications only form a basis for the private investigation career. What will really put you in the game are relevant skills that deliver results within the shortest time possible. You also require to be certified before you can begin serving clients who want the services of a private investigator. So, how do you become a private investigator? In California, only individuals who are above the age of 18 years are permitted to apply for a private investigator license. The application should be submitted with all the relevant documents, and a fee of $50 that can raise to $130 if the applicant is also requesting for a firearm permit.

Is private investigation legal?

​Private investigation is a legal profession. Even as a legal entity, however, the private investigators must work within the confines of law and ensure that they do not break laws in order to get information. Recording conversations before getting authorization from the courts, for example, can lead to the recording collected being inadmissible in court. So, is private investigation legal or are all methods used legal? It is imperative to note that most private investigators use creative methods that do not infringe on the privacy rights of the person being investigated. For instance, cases like the ones involving family law might lead to collection of sensitive information, which the families can decide to bury instead of making it public during a prosecution. The investigator needs to respect such a decision.

Are private investigators cops?

​Some people keep asking, ' are private investigators cops?' Well, they are not. They, however, can collaborate with cops in cases that involve crime. The question most people ask when they are confronted by private investigators is "Are you cops?" This is because the nature of conducting private investigations has the investigators asking questions that would most likely be asked by cops. It is also important to note that the information collected by the private investigators is not meant for prosecution. The investigators take the information to their client who then decides what to do with it.

Do private investigators require license?

​Private investigators in California require to obtain a license from The California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) before they can begin operations. The license is provided for both individuals and businesses that qualify. Most aspiring investigators often ask us, ' do private investigators require a license?' Yes, they do. In fact, the licensing also provides optional gun holding provision for individuals who qualify to hold firearms.

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